2 months
1 year
2 years
4 years
5 years
6 years
8 years
9 years
We love you Alex – Happy 9th Birthday!
Monthly Archives: April 2011
Master Calendar/Schedule
Since we have 5 people in our family we naturally have 673 things going on at any one time. While I have my personal calendar and Derek has his own, somehow we would still each miss recording events. This miscommunication often lead to frustration by both of us so I decided the solution was a master schedule.
We determined the master schedule needed to be in the kitchen so everyone could glance at it or add to it when needed. We placed it above the chalkboard and next to a magnet board we brought from our old house. The magnet board is a great place for the dry erase markers since they have magnets on the back of them.
We used a 38 x 26 frame we had sitting around. Besides the cost of the dry erase markers this was going to be a completely free project. That is…until we broke the glass. Off to the home improvement store Derek went to buy new glass and we were back in business.
I printed off some days of the week labels while Derek stuck two large pieces of paper together. After I glued the days of the week at the top of the blank pages. Derek divided it into appropriate sections. Each day is roughly 5 inches x 4 3/4 inches big.
Here’s an example of a light day: 6:00 soccer for Andrew & 6:00 lacrosse for Alex.It also reminded me of what I needed to bring to Caroline’s school for a teacher luncheon.
A busy, yet typical Saturday
My favorite part is that it’s easy to wipe on and wipe off with a cloth.
Anyone else have a Karate Kid moment there? Wipe on, wipe off, Daniel-san!
Do you have any fun organizing tips? I’d love to hear them.
I’m sharing my schedule here:
Rethinking
I just washed and dried my jeans.
I hope I remember the Pillsbury Dough Boy feeling I am now experiencing when I have the bright idea to do that again.
Get Your Play On
MissPrettyPretty.etsy.com has the most delightful playhouses.
For me, there is nothing better than a toy which sparks a child’s imagination. I despise dislike electronic toys which kids tire of quickly. I can see hours of entertainment with these playhouses. The playhouses fit right over a card table or you could build your own PVC pipe structure to fit it on.
Isn’t the camping one adorable?
Love the girly pink one – it has over 40 removable pieces
In addition to the playhouses, the shop has costumes and accessories. After seeing the mermaids tails, I’m thinking Caroline would be adorable as one for Halloween.
Now for the best part!
You can win one of these playhouses valued at over $200!
Tammy at She Wears Flowers if hosting a giveaway for a playhouse!
Jump on over and visit her site and leave a comment on the giveaway section.
Hurry, the giveaway ends April 11 at midnight.
GOOD LUCK and GET YOUR PLAY ON THIS WEEKEND!
Hunting a Wabbit
Since it’s springtime we have an abundance of rabbits in our neighborhood. We often see them early in the morning munching away on the grass. While the kids love seeing the rabbits, I quite dislike the thousands of rabbit droppings in our backyard. However, having tons of rabbit droppings does not dissuade the boys from playing tackle football or inspire us to actually do something about it.
Caroline and Andrew asked to play in the backyard on Sunday. Immediately after opening our back door we saw a rabbit run from the play set to the middle of the yard. A mini showdown occurred as we stared at the rabbit and he stared back. Thirty seconds later Caroline went running toward the rabbit hollering, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.” Thankfully, the rabbit took one look at the wild haired child and went under the fence.
Following Caroline’s cue, Andrew began screaming, “We have to follow it! Get the keys!” I weighed my options of either staying in the yard and dealing with their whining about why we didn’t follow the rabbit or just getting the keys to the back gate and following the rabbit. Following the rabbit won out.
After opening the gate my two explorers quickly spotted the rabbit sunning himself 20 feet away.
They were on him in no time. Barreling toward his resting spot they were surprised when he took off. Quickly scanning the area, Andrew located the poor fellow under a tree. Caroline kept yelling,”Wabbit. Twee,” along with “Wabbit. Here!” The rabbit wisely ignored her command to “come here” and stayed put.
Andrew decided to get closer. Unfortunately, his trusty sidekick was still next to him yelling, “Wabbit. Here!” So the rabbit ran. My little Diego and Dora ran too. Tree after tree they followed the terrorized animal. He finally wised up and escaped under someone’s fence.
I am fairly convinced their tactics won’t land them a show on Animal Planet anytime soon.
HELLO!
Everyone has that person.
It may be your neighbor, your in-law, or your boss.
For me, it’s Carl.
I mean, IT’S CARL!
Carl works at our local post office behind the check out desk.
When the need arises to mail a package or buy stamps a slight shudder runs through my body.
Since our post office is quite small and only two employees are on duty at a time, there’s always a 50% chance I will have an encounter with Carl. The time of day doesn’t seem to change those odds – believe me, I’ve tried.
While standing in line, usually five or six persons deep, I try and compute how long each person’s transaction will take.
Please let me miss him, please let the old lady get him.
I typically have no chance of avoiding Carl if the person in front of me has an international package. The necessary paperwork will have been filed out incorrectly, Carl will tell them to step to the side, and motion me forward.
Damn it people! Why can’t you get the form right?
I’ve been through this ritual before so I try and be proactive with my information.
“HELLO!!!“
Hi. I need to mail this package. It’s 2 books and I’d like to send it the cheapest way possible. I don’t need anything else today.
“DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING LIQUID, PERISHABLE, OR FRAGILE IN THE PACKAGE?”
No.
“DO YOU WANT TO SEND IT PRIORITY MAIL?
No.
“IF YOU DECIDE TO SEND IT PRIORITY IT WILL TAKE 2-3 DAYS”
No. The cheapest way please.
“OK. IF YOU SEND IT POSTAL MAIL IT WILL TAKE 7-10 DAYS.”
Okay.
“SO YOU ARE OK WITH IT GETTING THERE IN 7-10 DAYS?”
Yes, regular mail will be fine.
“DO YOU NEED A BOOK OF STAMPS? A BOOK OF 100? A BOOK OF 200? A BOOK OF 400?” (followed by huge burst of laughter)
No.
“DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE NEW ELVIS STAMPS WE HAVE?”
No.
“DO YOU NEED ANY ENVELOPES TODAY?
No.
DO YOU NEED ANY TAPE OR BOXES TODAY?”
No.
“CAN I BE OF ANY OTHER ASSISTANCE TO YOU TODAY?”
No. Thank you.
Once I finish playing 20 questions with Carl I grab my receipt and breathe a little easier.
That is, until my next adventure with CARL!
IKEA Elephant Off My Back
Why is it projects always take 98% longer than you think they will?
I bought this IKEA chair back in January. It was in the clearance section since it didn’t have a bottom.
I picked it up and thought, “Great project for the weekend.”
I don’t know why I still think I will get anything accomplished the first weekend it’s on the to do list. By now I should know once I put it on the list it may be completed within the same season it was initially written down in. For instance, my list for this weekend had 12 things on it, we accomplished three of them – actually, not too bad for us.
One of the projects was – FINISH BLUE IKEA CHAIR
Supplies: oval wood disk, batting, fabric, staple gun
Fabric: Urban Circus Laurie Wisburn Elephant blue – bought here
We used two layers of batting for the “comfy bun” factor.
Stapling
Uhhh, more stapling
FINISH BLUE IKEA CHAIR
This project was frighteningly simple and it took us just 15 minutes to complete.
That is, 3 months and 15 minutes.
Good Intentions
Do you ever buy only healthy items at the grocery store but completely regret it once you come home and realize there’s nothing good to snack on?
Sad….oh so sad.
First Swim Back
On Wednesday morning I went to my first swim practice in more than a month.
Only a few people knew I was pregnant but I was still nervous about seeing those people for the first time.
I went anyway because I needed to get back to the pool.
Swimming when I was younger was just for fun and a way to help pay for college.
Swimming now is a way to socialize, get exercise, and most importantly a stress reliever.
Whenever something is going on in my life, I can always get away for a short time and swim.
It gives me a chance to think or not to think.
I always feel better after swimming.
The getting up at 4:40 am part is the only issue I dislike.
On the way to the pool I was a bit anxious and could feel myself tearing up.
I’m not supposed to be doing this. I’m supposed to be on bed rest.
I kept it together and walked onto the pool deck. Our coach welcomed me back and gave me a hug. One guy teasingly yelled, “Well, look who finally decided to show up.” He didn’t know so I just smiled and kept walking.
Thankfully the last lane was open so I was able to get in and swim in relative solitude. I wasn’t able to complete sets or go on intervals I’m use to but I know every little bit helps.